Dogs Drop to 0-3

What was billed to be an exciting football game was anything but for the bulldog faithful as the state ranked Mart Panthers dominated the bulldogs in a 30-12 victory.

Right from the start the bulldogs were in trouble. Quarterback Thaddeus Freeman fumbled on the first offensive play and gave the Panthers the ball deep in Marlin territory. It only took the Panthers three plays from there as their quarterback, Lyndall Strunck scored to make it 6-0. Strunck also added the two-point conversion to move the score to 8-0. And some of the fans were still getting to their seats.

Then yet another bulldog turnover gave the Panthers the ball again deep in Marlin territory. This time Strunck went to the air and found Adariss Kinsey for a 21-yard touchdown. Quincy Cosby added the point after to give Mart a 15-0 lead as the first quarter ended.

The Panthers still weren't done. On a third and fifteen they ran a reverse to Kinsey, who pulled up and thre a 46-yard pass to a wide open Justin Sharp for another Panther touchdown. This made it 21-0 and then just before the half (only one second on the clock), Cosby kicks a 26-yard field goal to make it 24-zip.

In the first half the bulldogs managed just one first down and a total of eleven yards on offense. It was not very pretty.

The bulldog offense finally got it in gear to start the third quarter. On their first offensive series they went on a 14-play drive all the way to the Panther seven yard line. But they would get no closer as penalties and a fourth down incomplete pass gave the ball back to the Panthers.

On their next poesssion though the dogs finally broke into the scoring column. Running back Alvin Hall, busted up the middle on a trap play for a 40-yard touchdown. The try for two was no good but the dogs were on the board down 6-24.

The dog defense was then called on to make a stop. And they did just that and forced the Panthers to punt. But a roughing the kicker call gave the ball right back to Mart. On the very next play, Strunck hit Damion Clater down the right side line for 36 yards and the Panthers had first and goal at the two. Cosby bulled in from there and Mart moved to a 30-6 advantage.

The bulldogs would get a late score as Freeman scored from two yards out with three minutes remaining in the game to make the final - Mart 30 Marlin 12.

Stats On The Night

  Marlin High School Marching Band